I have started a series of posts on my Rather Rare Records site that will attempt to collect ALL of the promotional videos that were made in the 1960s for rock and related pop music. The videos that I was looking for had to be (more or less) promotional devices aimed at plugging sales for a record or records.

I intend for this to be a place where you can go and see EVERY ‘60s video from every rocking country in the world circa 1960-1969! If it was made in the ‘60s with the intention of promoting a record (almost always a single), then it belongs here—regardless of when it was eventually released to the public.

When I started this, I was under the impression that Subterranean Homesick Blues was not only the precursor to the ‘modern rock video,’ but also the first rock video. I was mistaken . . .

The promotional video for the Moody Blues' first hit single Go Now (and featuring Denny Laine on lead vocals) is assumed to have been released in November 1964 simultaneously with the single. This easily makes it the first rock music video that I could find! The second such video would not be made until May 1965 and not seen until 1967 while the third would not be broadcast until June 1965. (And neither are by the Beatles!)

Go Now is an unexceptional black and white video with the original five recording members mouthing the vocals. They are dressed in black and shot against a black backdrop, mostly shot from the chest up with a soft light focused on their faces. This owes more than a nod to Robert Freeman’s already famous photograph on the With The Beatles album (Meet The Beatles to American record buyers of the 1960s and ‘70s).

While there is loads of stuff on the Moodys on the internet, there is almost nothing on the origins of this video. Due to the influence of the early Beatles imagery on the video’s director, I have to assume that this was made sometime in late 1964 to promote the single, making it so far the first modern rock video . . .

_________________"When he did show up we had a hard time finding something for him to do. Then one day he shows up and puts that great slide on "No Expectations". That was the last contribution I think Brian ever made." - Mick Jagger